Malava Boys students run amok, clobber prefects, leave trail of destruction

A section of students at Friends School Malava Boys staged a violent riot, looting and destroying school property of unknown value.

The incident, which occurred on Sunday night March 29, left scores of students, especially prefects, nursing serious injuries after they were attacked by fellow learners for reporting cases of sneaking out of school.

The unrest forced the school to send students home indefinitely, just a day before the official closing date.

Tension between the groups escalated, with non-prefect students baying for the blood of a whistleblower, a dorm captain and prefects who had laid an ambush to apprehend those sneaking out upon their return.

The incident is said to have begun at around 20:30hrs when a group of students sneaked out through the fence.

They were spotted by another student, who reported the matter to the dorm captain. The captain then mobilised prefects to set up a dragnet to nab them.

Between 21:00 and 23:00hrs, howling, shouting, banging doors and breaking glass were heard from the school compound, with neighbours confirming that all was not well at the extra-county school.

Police sirens were later heard as officers responded to the chaos, during which several students were injured while attempting to evade beatings.

Aggrieved learners narrated how they were accosted by fellow students acting in solidarity with those who had sneaked out.

The suspected whistleblower was identified and attacked with blows, kicks and crude weapons, sustaining serious injuries.

Prefects who attempted to rescue him were also assaulted, forcing them to flee and seek refuge in the school’s sick bay.

However, their safety was short-lived as the mob smashed windows and attempted to break through the steel door of the room.

The continuing fracas drew the attention of teachers and security personnel, who rushed to the scene and upon realising the gravity of the situation, they called in Kabras police officers, who moved in to quell the unrest.

In acts of rage, the students broke into the school bakery and canteen, making away with confectioneries, other goods and cash from the day’s sales.

They also tampered with power connection switches in what appeared to be an attempt to set the institution ablaze.

Efforts to obtain a statement from Senior Principal Moses Moyi proved futile, as he kept the press waiting from 9:30am to 4:15pm while attending an impromptu staff meeting, before leaving his office despite journalists waiting at the reception.

So far, four students have been identified as having sneaked out, while a larger group has been sent home for allegedly aiding the attacks, causing injuries and destroying school property.

As the press left the school, a team comprising county and sub-county directors of education had arrived to assess the situation.

The principal, who assumed office late last year, has been under scrutiny following the burning of a dormitory barely a month after he took over.

A report on that incident has yet to be made public, despite requests from stakeholders and the press.

The latest unrest, which could have turned tragic, has further raised concerns among parents and education stakeholders over management and student safety.

Reports from within the school allege that the institution has been operating without a reliable supply of clean water, despite its large student population, raising serious concerns over sanitation and hygiene.

Confidential sources within the school have also accused the principal of failing to work closely with both teaching and non-teaching staff, opting instead to rely on a select few.

Despite the presence of water harvesting tanks, a borehole and tap water, poor maintenance is said to be the main cause of the persistent shortages.

Discontent over the leadership has begun to grow among parents and the wider community, with increasing calls for the principal’s immediate transfer.

A second attempt to get his response later in the evening was unsuccessful, as he informed the press that they had come on a bad day and asked them to return the following day for a briefing.